Thorens TD160 mk 2- Restoration and Upgrade project

[Wakefield Turntables]

Hello gang. I've been selected to modify and upgrade a clients TD160 mk2. You can follow my quest over on www.facebook.com/wakefieldaudio but I'll post some updates and posts on here as well.

[HackneyRF]

Looking forward to following the progress Andrew!

[Wakefield Turntables]

Thanks Loz, these are great TT's to work on, quite simplistic, but excellent engineering. This resto will hopefully turn out to be something special for the client who commissioned it.

[brian2957]

Excellent Andrew. Based on past projects I know this will be a very special build :)

[Wakefield Turntables]

Excellent Andrew. Based on past projects I know this will be a very special build :)

Thanks Brian, nice to hear from you again!

[Jac Hawk]

Very interesting, i'm at the start of another TD160 restoration myself, perhaps we could swap notes so to speak.

[Wakefield Turntables]

Very interesting, i'm at the start of another TD160 restoration myself, perhaps we could swap notes so to speak.

Love to. Send me a PM.

[bonus]

Looking forward to the progress and maybe some tips :) as I have the same which I am soon to start.

I bought a new plate, one of those laser cut ones, the one I have was disfigured by the previous guardian. I have a new power board from vinyl passion and reclaimed oak for the plinth. It will be my first attempt at a refurb.

The only thing I am not sure of is how to polish up the platter or if I could get it plated somehow, I would be interested to know if you will be doing something with yours. Mine is just looking a bit dull and I want it to sparkle when its finished.

My lid is ok, but I bought a headlight polishing kit to get the best out of it.

[Jac Hawk]

For the platter T Cut or Duraglit or any metal polish to be honest will work, it's a messy job though and when you're done polishing give the cleaned metal a polish with a good quality silicone car polish it will help to keep it shiny for longer.

[bonus]

For the platter T Cut or Duraglit or any metal polish to be honest will work, it's a messy job though and when you're done polishing give the cleaned metal a polish with a good quality silicone car polish it will help to keep it shiny for longer.

Thanks, I'll try that.

[Wakefield Turntables]

Looking forward to the progress and maybe some tips :) as I have the same which I am soon to start.

I bought a new plate, one of those laser cut ones, the one I have was disfigured by the previous guardian. I have a new power board from vinyl passion and reclaimed oak for the plinth. It will be my first attempt at a refurb.

The only thing I am not sure of is how to polish up the platter or if I could get it plated somehow, I would be interested to know if you will be doing something with yours. Mine is just looking a bit dull and I want it to sparkle when its finished.

My lid is ok, but I bought a headlight polishing kit to get the best out of it.

I'll be detailing everything on this thread and over on my facebook page. I'll be posting some pics in the next few days.



For the platter T Cut or Duraglit or any metal polish to be honest will work, it's a messy job though and when you're done polishing give the cleaned metal a polish with a good quality silicone car polish it will help to keep it shiny for longer.

Yep, both of those work really well. I've used them both and I would say that you just have to try what works best for you.

[Wakefield Turntables]

Pt 2 - No progress tonight.

I've taken loads of pix but I'm out of time to post anything tonight (and too knackered)! I've been concentrating on the suspension. I've cured some motor knock, and ordered a new set of springs form the USA. I see lots of dodgy old spring sets on eBay and others use Linn springs as replacements. Both not good. My replacements are new, re-engineered replacements which come with new gromets. I will not be replacing the sponge in the springs. I don't really think it does much. More later in the week.

[Wakefield Turntables]

Pt 3 - Yep! 2 updates in a night.

Plinth measurements done and new Thorens TD160 belt ordered (yep it'S proper THORENS)!!

[Wakefield Turntables]

Pt 4 - Some pictures, at last.

Sorry guys, I've been a bit slack, but I have been working hard. Here are a few pictures of the latest restoration project.

My favourite part, the tear down. I've done quite a few 150's and 160's now and I never tire of just how great this design is.

https://i.ibb.co/h8L1JdD/WP-20210228-001.jpg

This unit whilst in good cosmetic condition was quite grotty on the underside. TD160's have sprung suspension, not my favourite but still something which is fun. I have taken utmost care with the suspension on this unit. Everything has been cleaned and ultrasonically prepared. So to start with the top plate got some love and attention. Nearly 50 years of filth accumulated around the suspension pillars. Check out the crud!


https://i.ibb.co/d0jbzDZ/WP-20210228-003.jpg

And now cleaned up.

https://i.ibb.co/0qrSYL4/WP-20210228-012.jpg

Motor pulley got a complete clean with isopropyl alcohol, now nice and clean.

https://i.ibb.co/n8QmyZS/WP-20210228-013.jpg


Turntable earthing. This was pretty clean but it got another dose of isopropyl alcohol and the screw was firmly tightened to ensure good earthing.

https://i.ibb.co/VJrFbwr/WP-20210228-018.jpg

Suspension chassis removed and cleaned. Note the extra clean areas (the three large circles) where the suspension grommets live. This was filthy and not that great if your concentrating on the suspension. EVERYTHING needs to be just so. Once I was happy I reinstalled the three main suspension grommets. The grommets were filthy but in excellent condition so these received a clean with warm soapy water which produced an excellent result.

https://i.ibb.co/xH1TTTq/WP-20210228-010.jpg

And with the grommets installed.

https://i.ibb.co/18vFV0N/WP-20210228-015.jpg

Suspension pillars FILTHY, YUK :spew:

https://i.ibb.co/rdMdcW7/WP-20210228-008.jpg

Then cleaned.


https://i.ibb.co/1ZSQh1w/WP-20210228-009.jpg


And then installed....

https://i.ibb.co/0qrSYL4/WP-20210228-012.jpg

So there we have it. Lots of progress made, quite quickly. More next time around... :cool:

[brian2957]

Excellent work Andrew. The recipient of this fully restored turntable can be sure it will be in ' as new ' condition when they get it back.

Great pictures BTW :)

[Wakefield Turntables]

Thanks Brian, there is still a long way to go.

[Wakefield Turntables]

Pt 5 - Boredom update!

I always hate this part of a rebuild/restoration and that's when I have to wait for new parts to arrive, usually from far flung parts of the globe. New springs and grommets are coming from the US of A, and a new Thorens belt is coming from Germany. Fortunately I can order wood from the UK and I have found a place that is supplies some weird and wonderful varieties which should make for cool looking plinths. I've also started ordering parts and materials for the decks baseboard. Nothing too radical here very thick heavy birch ply with additional damping. I've made some new prototype feet which I'm assessing which will hopefully help with damping. I'm in the process of just getting parts together and then I'll start to looking into tweaks. Stay tuned because I have a few things planned which should hopefully lift the performance of these humble decks.

[Chas B]

Once up and running it will be worth listening without a baseboard fitted ( if being used in a safe environment). I ran my 11X and Sondek without and preferred it. The Thorens might not respond in the same way but being another suspended design it's worth a try. Best of all it's a tweak that costs nothing.:)

[Jimbo]

Pt 5 - Boredom update!

I always hate this part of a rebuild/restoration and that's when I have to wait for new parts to arrive, usually from far flung parts of the globe. New springs and grommets are coming from the US of A, and a new Thorens belt is coming from Germany. Fortunately I can order wood from the UK and I have found a place that is supplies some weird and wonderful varieties which should make for cool looking plinths. I've also started ordering parts and materials for the decks baseboard. Nothing too radical here very thick heavy birch ply with additional damping. I've made some new prototype feet which I'm assessing which will hopefully help with damping. I'm in the process of just getting parts together and then I'll start to looking into tweaks. Stay tuned because I have a few things planned which should hopefully lift the performance of these humble decks.

Great project Andy and I am particularly interested in this one because this was my first serious turntable!:) Can I ask where you got the heavy birch ply from as I am looking for some myself for another project.:eyebrows:

[Jac Hawk]

It looks like we have hit the same mail impasse, my deck is stripped, cleaned and ready for the new parts, like you i've opted for new springs and once completed i'll do a side by side test with my other TD160 which has original springs. instead of like for like spring replacements i've gone for the Griffon https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/THORENS-GRIFFON-1-6mm-ENRICHED-CARBON-STEEL-SUSPENSION-SPRINGS/254719806813?hash=item3b4e7bcd5d:g:rQgAAOSwVJJfBss 8 springs which have been recommended to me not only to replace tired springs but also improve on new like for like equivalents

[Jac Hawk]

Great project Andy and I am particularly interested in this one because this was my first serious turntable!:) Can I ask where you got the heavy birch ply from as I am looking for some myself for another project.:eyebrows:

Nowadays if you can't get what you need from B&Q or Wickes try ebay

[Wakefield Turntables]

It looks like we have hit the same mail impasse, my deck is stripped, cleaned and ready for the new parts, like you i've opted for new springs and once completed i'll do a side by side test with my other TD160 which has original springs. instead of like for like spring replacements i've gone for the Griffon https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/THORENS-GRIFFON-1-6mm-ENRICHED-CARBON-STEEL-SUSPENSION-SPRINGS/254719806813?hash=item3b4e7bcd5d:g:rQgAAOSwVJJfBss 8 springs which have been recommended to me not only to replace tired springs but also improve on new like for like equivalents

That sounds excellent. I went with these guys https://vinylnirvana.com/product-category/thorens-part they claim to do pretty much the same as yours from Denmark. I don't have the luxury of another TD160 to compare but I have heard several TD160's so have a rough idea of what to expect. I'm now looking into the effects of the mass of the rubber mats as it appears a specific weight may improve platter speed stability. My deck now runs at 33.5rpm initially it ran at 33.8 rpm (1.48% faster), now it's 0.6% faster. I think I can get this down further still with suspension tweaks. More later.....

[Jac Hawk]

Speed control on these old decks is where i think the greatest improvements are to be had, relying on mains frequency to control your motor speed as we all know isn't the best plan, ProJect used to make a turntable PSU that could not only run a 230V ac motor but also output a variable frequency range so that fine tuning became possible as well as 33 to 45 electronic speed change, for some reason they aren't available anymore, a company called Heed make something similar but i don't think it has a display to show output frequency and i'm not sure if any fine adjustment of the generated frequency is possible

[Wakefield Turntables]

Great project Andy and I am particularly interested in this one because this was my first serious turntable!:) Can I ask where you got the heavy birch ply from as I am looking for some myself for another project.:eyebrows:

Wickes is best for me. It's not only cheaper but the quality is better, others seem to be quite shoddy. I'm also experimenting with Bamboo.



Speed control on these old decks is where i think the greatest improvements are to be had, relying on mains frequency to control your motor speed as we all know isn't the best plan, ProJect used to make a turntable PSU that could not only run a 230V ac motor but also output a variable frequency range so that fine tuning became possible as well as 33 to 45 electronic speed change, for some reason they aren't available anymore, a company called Heed make something similar but i don't think it has a display to show output frequency and i'm not sure if any fine adjustment of the generated frequency is possible

I've a power regenerator at home, it would be interesting to see if this helps out, I'm quite sceptical and don't think it'll make a jot of difference. Still, that's an experiment for tonight.

[walpurgis]

The flywheel effect from the weight of the Thorens platter and its peripheral mass are sufficient to keep speed variation low, at six one thousandths of one percent.

[Haselsh1]

Wonderful turntable and project. Hope all goes well for you and the Thorens.

[Wakefield Turntables]

The flywheel effect from the weight of the Thorens platter and its peripheral mass are sufficient to keep speed variation low, at six one thousandths of one percent.

Geoff, that's a really interesting statement. Can you show me the maths please.

[Jac Hawk]

The flywheel effect from the weight of the Thorens platter and its peripheral mass are sufficient to keep speed variation low, at six one thousandths of one percent.

but it doesn't help with a motor that's running a little fast or slow and this is where the ability to adjust the frequency is a great help

[Wakefield Turntables]

Pt 6 - Productive day.

Hello friends. Another day another update. Today we received notification that the oil we commissioned for spindle and bearing lubrication has been formulated. I will also be offering this for sale from my Wakefield Turntables facebook page. And no it's not 3-in-1 oil badged up as something special! I've been researching baseboard materials and have found something that I'll be experimenting with over the next week or two and then I'll do further experiments with bitumen damping. I've ordered a bench polisher and enough polishing compounds to stock a small store. I'm hoping to have a nice polished platter and should be able to lightly polish the inner platter rim to remove old rubber belt residue and even the bearing spindle itself. I'll also be offering a platter polishing service if anyone is interested. More to follow....

[Jimbo]

A bench polisher will certainly be quicker than Autosol:)

I have used a number of oils on my VPI bearing Andy and found fully synthetic oil pretty good.

[Wakefield Turntables]

The oil is specifically for Thorens and Garrards. I'll be posting some more pictures soon when I've made some more progress

[Jac Hawk]

You do know that Thorens themselves recommend 3 in 1

[Wakefield Turntables]

You do know that Thorens themselves recommend 3 in 1

Yes. But I'm happy with what we have produced.

[bonus]

Rexton,

You have mentioned a few things that I am intrigued by and would like to experiment a bit.

Leaving the base board off - what is the difference that you would expect that to make?

Also, damping, how does this affect things?

Are there threads on this or published books? Understanding these changes and other small adjustments is something I would like to learn and experiment a bit.

I have a GL59 that I just acquired, plus the TD 160, so interested right now on these improvements.

Thanks for the posts!

[Wakefield Turntables]

Hi Bruce, my name's Andrew! Leaving the base board off is purely a choice thing but the percieved wisdom is to improve the base board with materials with better damping properties. Damping helps to control resonance. Resonance can have significant effect on vinyl replay. This is a very large subject and I would highly recommend having a good read around the subject to get a grasp of what's been discussed. A simple google search or a search on the various forums should help you in your quest.

[Wakefield Turntables]

Pt 7 - Go on then just a quickie before bedtime........

A few weekend developments for the clients TT. I got a package from Germany which meant better platter speed stability! Better than the already very good Thakker belt.


https://i.ibb.co/xj3cx50/WP-20210306-004.jpg

And just to prove the improvement...

https://i.ibb.co/19BRQvf/WP-20210306-001.jpg

The deck is now running 0.3% fast which is a result that I'm happy with. Things may improve with a little tweaking and bedding in. Finally I fabricated a new tonearm board so the client can have any tonearm installed.
https://i.ibb.co/Gpdw1G5/WP-20210306-005.jpg

This picture shows the really rubbish feet that Thorens supplied with the TD160, we can do better than this! This week will hopefully be baseboard and new feet and then hopefully the new springs should show up at some point. Until next time....

[Jimbo]

Those feet look as good as I had on my Lenco GL75.:eek:

[Jac Hawk]

Those feet look as good as I had on my Lenco GL75.:eek:

They aren't great that's for sure, but the plinth, feet and base board are where Thorens saved money back in the day, the important parts that aren't easy to make in your shed like the bearing are quality

[Jac Hawk]

Some of my weekend work:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51015645797_d73e7a30e2_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2kJ5w8X)IMG_0057 (https://flic.kr/p/2kJ5w8X) by mike
davis (https://www.flickr.com/photos/185433896@N07/), on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51014825488_bd6df3e201_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2kJ1jhG)IMG_0058 (https://flic.kr/p/2kJ1jhG) by mike davis (https://www.flickr.com/photos/185433896@N07/), on Flickr
https://www.flickr.com/photos/185433896@N07/51014825488/in/dateposted-public/

[Jac Hawk]

The new plinth in 28mm European Oak with an 18mm Birch ply base panel

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51017083466_a36cd2236b_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2kJcTvm)IMG_0059 (https://flic.kr/p/2kJcTvm) by mike davis (https://www.flickr.com/photos/185433896@N07/), on Flickr
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51016352513_73ff0b0c2d_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2kJ99dH)IMG_0060 (https://flic.kr/p/2kJ99dH) by mike davis (https://www.flickr.com/photos/185433896@N07/), on Flickr

[Wakefield Turntables]

Mike, that looks great. Your My a bit further down the line than myself but it looks like it's coming together nicely for you. The platter looks great, mine hopefully should be done this weekend. My springs are still floating in the ether. The plinth is something I'll probably start making in a week or two. There is no time-line for this resto, I was told to go "steady-away" so that's what were doing. I congratulate you on your resto skills!

[Jac Hawk]

Cheers Andrew, my guy has done a great job on the plinth and the new springs turned up on Saturday, just waiting on the feet, arm board and belt to get delivered then I need to decide on the new top plate, I’m thinking either gloss black or bright silver and last of all I need to source a motor adjustment spring and retaining screws

[Wakefield Turntables]

Pt 8 - Scrubbed up well.

No photo's tonight lads, I'm knackered (again)! The bench polisher, mops, and polishing blocks turned up today as did a very expensive set of measuring calipers. I polished the outer platter of the 160 tonight and it's come up fairly well but I can still see some pitting so I may re-do the whole thing. I'm very impressed with the bench polisher, big, brutal and gets the job done. I also polished the inner platter today to remove 45+ years of old rubber that had accrued, again it looks a thing of beauty it's just a pity no-one will see it. Speed stability has improved a notch, so I wonder if the polishing has helped. We are at 45rpm bang on and are hovering between 33.2 and 33.3 rpm. I've also had a little play with the motor suspension spring and this seems to have helped things a little with speed stability and the deck is now whisper quiet, the deck does have a motor knock kit fitted, so this helps. I'm still waiting for the springs to arrive so this gives me plenty of time to do the plinth and base board. I'll post some pictures tomorrow.

stay tuned....:cool:

[Jimbo]

Looking forward to more pics Andy. The polishing sounds like its going well and it will be good to document so the owner can see the finished results of the platter ,both sides!

[Jac Hawk]

The journey so far:

New Feet and 18mm birch ply base board
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51023191156_3457e3e43a_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2kJKc7m)IMG_0062 (https://flic.kr/p/2kJKc7m) by mike davis (https://www.flickr.com/photos/185433896@N07/), on Flickr

Internal dynamat damping to top plate, sides and base board, cork damping to suspended top plate, new springs, rewire and new motor control caps and resistor
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51022460358_99569ac446_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2kJFrSo)IMG_0063 (https://flic.kr/p/2kJFrSo) by mike davis (https://www.flickr.com/photos/185433896@N07/), on Flickr
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51022460398_f79f5b1a9e_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2kJFrT5)IMG_0064 (https://flic.kr/p/2kJFrT5) by mike davis (https://www.flickr.com/photos/185433896@N07/), on Flickr

New European Oak plinth with satin varnish, polished platter and sub platter

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51023288962_df57942b79_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2kJKGbE)IMG_0061 (https://flic.kr/p/2kJKGbE) by mike davis (https://www.flickr.com/photos/185433896@N07/), on Flickr

[Jimbo]

Wow Andy that is going to be a stunning looking TD160.

[mik_rik]

The journey so far:

New Feet and 18mm birch ply base board
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51023191156_3457e3e43a_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2kJKc7m)IMG_0062 (https://flic.kr/p/2kJKc7m) by mike davis (https://www.flickr.com/photos/185433896@N07/), on Flickr

Internal dynamat damping to top plate, sides and base board, cork damping to suspended top plate, new springs, rewire and new motor control caps and resistor
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51022460358_99569ac446_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2kJFrSo)IMG_0063 (https://flic.kr/p/2kJFrSo) by mike davis (https://www.flickr.com/photos/185433896@N07/), on Flickr
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51022460398_f79f5b1a9e_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2kJFrT5)IMG_0064 (https://flic.kr/p/2kJFrT5) by mike davis (https://www.flickr.com/photos/185433896@N07/), on Flickr

New European Oak plinth with satin varnish, polished platter and sub platter

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51023288962_df57942b79_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2kJKGbE)IMG_0061 (https://flic.kr/p/2kJKGbE) by mike davis (https://www.flickr.com/photos/185433896@N07/), on Flickr

Hi Mike
Must say it's looking impressive,enjoying the progress of both projects
keep us updated
mick

[Wakefield Turntables]

Pt 9 - Another night another update.

I finally managed to get some pics uploaded. Last night I polished the platter and sub platter.

The platter before a polish.

https://i.ibb.co/8mJYmCw/WP-20210309-001.jpg

And then with a bloody big bench polisher. This picture really is poor and does not show the real finish.


https://i.ibb.co/b6sRhRT/WP-20210309-005.jpg

The the inner platter before a polish

https://i.ibb.co/JzdYNKp/WP-20210309-007.jpg

Inner platter polished.



https://i.ibb.co/SB6vpb2/WP-20210309-009.jpg


I've been on a little shopping spree tonight and bought some bitumen damping sheets. I've used Dynamat in the past but I don't like the fact that you can see the Dynamat name everywhere so I bought something a little cheaper whilst doing the same job and understated. I intend tidying up the wiring under the
160 I intend fitting a new PCB which will tidy everything up whilst replacing the caps and resistors and also get rid of some of the silly resonant parts sitting on the underside of the 160. As always my mantra is less is more. As you can see in the next picture it's a shambles and I hate that. The eagle eyed amongst you will also see we have a motor knock mod kit fitted to the motor which has made things whisper quire whilst protecting this 160 from future motor knock.

https://i.ibb.co/mznFn2w/WP-20210310-003.jpg

OK that's it for another night, stay tuned.. :cool:

[Jac Hawk]

I'm not happy with the new suspension springs i bought they are way too strong and don't allow me to adjust the suspension enough to get the platter level, i've sent an email to the place i got them from and they have replied by saying i must have the short version of the suspension struts / bolts on my turntable and i would need the long version, this would make sense but i didn't know that Thorens had made any alterations to any of the TD160 suspension components, is this guy just pulling my chain?

[Wakefield Turntables]

I'm not happy with the new suspension springs i bought they are way too strong and don't allow me to adjust the suspension enough to get the platter level, i've sent an email to the place i got them from and they have replied by saying i must have the short version of the suspension struts / bolts on my turntable and i would need the long version, this would make sense but i didn't know that Thorens had made any alterations to any of the TD160 suspension components, is this guy just pulling my chain?

Mark, I'm sorry to hear your experience with these springs. I can't comment on them as I never even heard of them before you highlighted their existence. My springs from the USA are still in New Jersey, USA !! So, I can't even comment on them. I think he could be pulling your chain, I've not heard of this modification before. Have you tried consulting the Thorens group on Facebook? It's not beyond the realms of posssibility that Thorens did mod the 160. Either way if it had been my company I would have offered a replacement spring set on return of the one you own. Did they offer you this option?

[Wakefield Turntables]

Part 10 - A bit further.....

Bitumen damping and cork has been ordered. More of our special turntable oil has been delivered, all systems go. I'll be having a look at the wiring and ways of tidying the underside so we get no chassis snagging. Now, to replace the motor caps and resistors? Mark (Jac Hawk) thinks that new can help against the dread Thorens Knock in the motor? Come on guys what do you think? Some pictures to follow..

Stay tuned... :cool:

[struth]

cant hurt.. good table to work with. i used cork on mine

[brian2957]

Love these threads. They're not only very interesting, they're an illustrated set of instructions for anyone who wants to restore a Thorens TD160.

You've done a few of these now Andrew and I still remember the work you did on the GL75 also with many pictures. I will use that to do work on my GL75 when things ' calm ' down a bit.

This is vintage audio engineering at it's very best. Keep up the good work mate.

I always read this thread when it comes up and fail to comment. My loss not yours Andrew :)

[Wakefield Turntables]

Love these threads. They're not only very interesting, they're an illustrated set of instructions for anyone who wants to restore a Thorens TD160.

You've done a few of these now Andrew and I still remember the work you did on the GL75 also with many pictures. I will use that to do work on my GL75 when things ' calm ' down a bit.

This is vintage audio engineering at it's very best. Keep up the good work mate.

I always read this thread when it comes up and fail to comment. My loss not yours Andrew :)

Many thanks Brian, as always! It's certainly not your loss, you don't have to comment. I do these restorations for a number of reasons, sometimes I'm paid (:pub:), sometimes to learn something new, sometimes just for a challenge, sometimes so that others might some enjoyment, but, mainly for fun and relaxation. I hope to do some more restoration. I've been asked to do a Pioneer deck, nothing fancy and something I've not worked on before, should be fun.

[Jac Hawk]

Mark, I'm sorry to hear your experience with these springs. I can't comment on them as I never even heard of them before you highlighted their existence. My springs from the USA are still in New Jersey, USA !! So, I can't even comment on them. I think he could be pulling your chain, I've not heard of this modification before. Have you tried consulting the Thorens group on Facebook? It's not beyond the realms of posssibility that Thorens did mod the 160. Either way if it had been my company I would have offered a replacement spring set on return of the one you own. Did they offer you this option?

It's not something i've ever come across but certainly not outside the realms of possibility, the guy that sold me the springs has told me that i must have the shortest bolts, that Thorens used 3 different lengths depending on the year of manufacture and the longest bolts are 10mm longer than the ones i have, they have an M5 thread so i might just order 3 x M5 stainless steel bolts and see how i get on, it's going to be less expensive than returning the springs to Denmark

[Jac Hawk]

So i'm at a bit of an impasse waiting for the M3 x 10mm screws, washers and 20mm x 9mm x 1mm compression spring so that i can mount the motor, i've also removed one of the suspension bolts, measured it and ordered 3 new 10mm longer bolts, the originals are 45mm x M5 but don't give me enough freedom of adjustment for the new springs, in the mean time i've replaced the original springs, tidied up the wiring, fitted an IEC power socket and fitted the armboard.

Jobs left to do include fitting the motor, sorting out the suspension including levelling the table, hopefully the new suspension bolts turn up by Tuesday, fitting the arm, giving the table a good clean, top the bearing oil up and then giving the table a run, i'll then evaluate my suspension options and either go with the new or refit the old, once happy i'll order a replacement top plate from Q-Design and finish this little project.

Some photos of the work so far:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51032009971_2ac9e8f2e0_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2kKwoCT)IMG_0065 (https://flic.kr/p/2kKwoCT) by mike davis (https://www.flickr.com/photos/185433896@N07/), on Flickr
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51032010041_74bd0bc6c6_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2kKwoE6)IMG_0066 (https://flic.kr/p/2kKwoE6) by mike davis (https://www.flickr.com/photos/185433896@N07/), on Flickr
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51032110402_1475df2edc_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2kKwUus)IMG_0067 (https://flic.kr/p/2kKwUus) by mike davis (https://www.flickr.com/photos/185433896@N07/), on Flickr

[brian2957]

Looks fantastic Mike. Those top plates from Q-Design look fab and are really well priced. Should finish of the TD 160 nicely :)

[Jac Hawk]

Looks fantastic Mike. Those top plates from Q-Design look fab and are really well priced. Should finish of the TD 160 nicely :)

They are i have one on my other TD160

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50386301403_47304002c0_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2jLsXYx)DSC_0540 (https://flic.kr/p/2jLsXYx) by mike davis (https://www.flickr.com/photos/185433896@N07/), on Flickr

This time i think i'll go for gloss black rather than the satin black on the one above.

[brian2957]

Now that is a very nice turntable :)

[Jimbo]

What was the difference between the TD160 abd the TD160 "Super"?

[Jac Hawk]

There have been a few different variants of the TD160 starting with the mk1 then the mk2 and the mk2 B which didn’t come with an arm then there was the super which incorporated all the mods that a hifi company in the UK had done to earlier TD160’s to improve sound quality you can read about it here https://thorens.com/en/thorens-milestones.html

[Jac Hawk]

Now that is a very nice turntable :)

Thanks Brian, I decided on the black faceplate and light oak plinth to match with the speakers which are light oak with a black leather baffle

[Jimbo]

There have been a few different variants of the TD160 starting with the mk1 then the mk2 and the mk2 B which didn’t come with an arm then there was the super which incorporated all the mods that a hifi company in the UK had done to earlier TD160’s to improve sound quality you can read about it here https://thorens.com/en/thorens-milestones.html

Thanks

[Wakefield Turntables]

Part 11 - Motoring....

Things as always go at different speeds with these builds. I received my oil from my suppliers yesterday which no means we can clear out the bearing housing and freshly lubricate the platter spindle. Today I receive my damping material and my springs from the USA. I've been working in clinic today but spent some of the evening completely ripping the 160 to bits and it's now completely dismantled. I have managed to damp the top plate but it now needs to be pierced so we can actually screw something back onto the top plate! Boring work but essential. The top plate is now significantly heavier than last night. I've removed the cover off the top plate and I now need to decide if I'm going to give it a custom paint job or simply buy a new top plate cover. Decisions, decisions. I post some pics up tomorrow.

Stay tuned.. :cool:

[Jac Hawk]

You will need some sort of cover for the top plate, personally I don’t think it lends itself to be painted due to the holes and screws that would be on show, you could get a plain cover and custom paint that I suppose

[Wakefield Turntables]

You will need some sort of cover for the top plate, personally I don’t think it lends itself to be painted due to the holes and screws that would be on show, you could get a plain cover and custom paint that I suppose

Mike, the holes would be no problems, have you ever custom modded a Lenco top plate ??:lol:?? You'll know what I mean...!

[brian2957]

Yup, I have a GL75 and know the work Andrew has done to the top plate. Amazing work :)

[Jac Hawk]

I’m sure it could be done my point is it’s a lot of work for something that was designed to be covered and with replacement 2mm aluminium panels readily available and give as good or better than original finishes why would you want to??

[Wakefield Turntables]

I’m sure it could be done my point is it’s a lot of work for something that was designed to be covered and with replacement 2mm aluminium panels readily available and give as good or better than original finishes why would you want to??

Yep, but some folks like different designs. I've gone for a high polish finish TD 160 Super top plate. I think this is fitting as I've been asked to spec up the 160 to "Super" status.

[Wakefield Turntables]

Part 12 - Platter speed stability

A quick note of platter speed stability. I've done about five Thorens TD 150's and 160's over the last few years. All have run slightly fast to some extent but there are several techniques which can be used to either speed up or slow down the platter depending on how the deck runs. I've developed a system which can improve the accuracy of platter speed and in some instances make the decks run bang on 33.3 or 45.0 RPM it's very difficult unless using a specifically designed PSU to get the speed accuracy of these decks bang on, every time. So, when I restore each Thorens I use these techniques to help improve the platter stability. I never make silly claims that I can achieve perfect platter speed stability.

[Wakefield Turntables]

Yup, I have a GL75 and know the work Andrew has done to the top plate. Amazing work :)

Just seen this, thanks!

[Jac Hawk]

Part 12 - Platter speed stability

A quick note of platter speed stability. I've done about five Thorens TD 150's and 160's over the last few years. All have run slightly fast to some extent but there are several techniques which can be used to either speed up or slow down the platter depending on how the deck runs. I've developed a system which can improve the accuracy of platter speed and in some instances make the decks run bang on 33.3 or 45.0 RPM it's very difficult unless using a specifically designed PSU to get the speed accuracy of these decks bang on, every time. So, when I restore each Thorens I use these techniques to help improve the platter stability. I never make silly claims that I can achieve perfect platter speed stability.

I'd say you're right, with a 220v motor you can't rely on mains frequency to be accurate enough for the speed to be bang on, all the TD160's i've had have been a bit fast and plus the motors are old in some cases 40+ years so using a PSU that allows you to adjust the frequency generated will enable you to give the exact frequency needed to spin the platter at the correct speed which might not be 50htz

[Wakefield Turntables]

I'd say you're right, with a 220v motor you can't rely on mains frequency to be accurate enough for the speed to be bang on, all the TD160's i've had have been a bit fast and plus the motors are old in some cases 40+ years so using a PSU that allows you to adjust the frequency generated will enable you to give the exact frequency needed to spin the platter at the correct speed which might not be 50htz

Yep I agree and that's why I use several tried and tested methods to slow up / down the motor, not everyone can afford a PSU with the ability to alter Hz frequency.

[Jac Hawk]

Project used to make one for use with 220v motors with frequency adjustment but they discontinued it a few years ago

[brian2957]

Slightly off topic, the only experience I have of T/T speed is a Leno GL75. The Leccy in my home can run anywhere between 230V and 252V and this made the GL75 run slow ( which didn't bother me too much ) and fast ( which drove me mad. It made late night listening almost impossible.

[Jac Hawk]

Unfortunately I couldn't afford a speed controller :(

Aye they’re not cheap

[Wakefield Turntables]

Pt 13 - Not unlucky for some..

Another leap forward in the development of the deck. This time the top plate got some loving. I decided to remove the top plate cover, this will be replaced with a TD160 "Super" high gloss shine cover. Should look very smart. Anyway, before a clean.

https://i.ibb.co/HPDnjzR/WP-20210314-001.jpg

And then after a clean.

https://i.ibb.co/3MSQCyQ/WP-20210314-002.jpg

And then some damping, partly chased out although some way to go.

https://i.ibb.co/xHphb8h/WP-20210313-013.jpg


More stuff to follow, tomorrow we might start to do some rewiring.... :eek:

[brian2957]

Damping looks good Andrew. Bit of cutting out to do ?

[Wakefield Turntables]

Damping looks good Andrew. Bit of cutting out to do ?
Yes you could say that! It's actually finished now and the top plate is partly populated.

[brian2957]

Been a busy boy then :)

[Jimbo]

Are you using some of the principles and modifications you employed on the Lenco?

[Wakefield Turntables]

Are you using some of the principles and modifications you employed on the Lenco?

yeah but not too far away from what's already known to work well with these decks. I've a couple of techniques I've learned to help platter speed stability and the motor usually always knocks in these decks so I've a couple of tricks that I can use to sort that out. Damping is critical so I shall be experimenting with a few bits and pieces :eyebrows:. You can't really optimise the parts in a td160 thorens did a good job of that. I'll be posting some more stuff tonight.

[Jac Hawk]

The top plate is looking good that bitumen sheet certainly adds some weight. FYI Andrew the suspension bolts are stainless steel M5 thread mine are 45mm long but i've ordered some 55mm ones so i can try the new springs i've bought

[Wakefield Turntables]

The top plate is looking good that bitumen sheet certainly adds some weight. FYI Andrew the suspension bolts are stainless steel M5 thread mine are 45mm long but i've ordered some 55mm ones so i can try the new springs i've bought

Mike, mine are different. I'll be posting a very geeky post about the suspension bolts tonight ( hopefully).

[Jac Hawk]

Mike, mine are different. I'll be posting a very geeky post about the suspension bolts tonight ( hopefully).

The thread size should be the same though, but as the guy that sold me the springs said Thorens used a variety of different lengths

[Wakefield Turntables]

Pt 14 - Plodding on..

These little decks continue to amaze me and the more you work on them the more you learn. Each little section of this deck has it's own idiosyncrasy. Bolts! Who'd have thought bolts could cause such a furore? Well in this instance they happen to be the most important component of this deck's design in that they help hold the suspended chassis and the isolation springs. It appears Thorens in their infinite wisdom altered the length of these bolts from time to time alongside spring length and it appear each version of the 160 had differing lengths. SO, NEVER EVER FORGET WHERE YOUR BOLT CAME FROM!! I have three differing length bolts, the shortest being nearest the tonearm whilst the others get longer as you approach the front of the deck. So now a couple of pictures

I fully chased out the damping material and counter sunk every screw hole in the top plate. I also partially populated the top plate with the three suspension bolts and half the speed changing mechanism. The three mounting bolts were ultrasonically cleaned and the buffed on the bench polisher in the workshop. The suspension bolt head now have a mirror finish which will match the top plate cover when it arrives. Little details like this matter and it helps my OCD knowing it's been done.

https://i.ibb.co/8gfCKxh/WP-20210315-001.jpg


Now have a look at this rats nest...

https://i.ibb.co/54XRF5t/WP-20210315-002.jpg

Lots of work to be done with the wiring. It'll all be rewired with decent copper wiring rather the tinned copper stuff that Thorens used back in the 70's. The decks relies on x2 caps for the motor phase shift and Switch suppressor and x1 resistor for voltage dropping. I've not measured the tolerance or if they've drifted, that's a another job for another day. They will all be replaced with tight tolerance replacements. Let's see how this improves the deck. So it looks like a smaller order to hifi collective for these. As ever stay tuned..... :cool:

[Wakefield Turntables]

The thread size should be the same though, but as the guy that sold me the springs said Thorens used a variety of different lengths


Mike, yes the thread is the same on all three suspension bolts, 3mm.

[brian2957]

Nice work again Andrew. Love the OCD with the bolts. Can't see 'em but you'll know they're there ( nice and shiny :) )

I tend to take pictures on my phone these days so I remember how things go back together again :eyebrows:

[Jac Hawk]

The motor retention screws, washers and the adjustment spring turned up today, i've already sorted out the wiring and replaced the phase shift caps and suppressor resistor, so i've attached the motor and wired it in and given it a spin to see what she sounds like, i was expecting the dreaded knock and have already ordered an SRM Tech bearing, turns out she's quiet as a mouse, i'll still fit the bearing just in case.

At the moment i've got the original springs fitted as i'm waiting on longer bolts to arrive so that i can fit the new springs which have considerably more spring in them, the manufacturer of these new springs claim that they offer greater lateral stability, in short they bounce up and down and resist horizontal movement which apparently is what you want, i'll see if the claims are true over the coming days.

The last thing i did today was stick the belt and platter on and carried out a speed test, all the TD160's i've ever had have run a little fast this one was pretty good though giving me a speed of 33.35rpm, a new belt may improve the speed but equally needle drag will probably slow it down a notch.

Jobs left to do include replacing the suspension bolts with longer ones and cleaning the collars, fitting the new springs, i've already replaced the spring adjustment nuts with nyloc ones which resist unscrewing so the deck should stay balanced for longer, fit the arm, balancing the deck, thoroughly clean the bearing sleeve and shaft and replace the oil, finally i'll fit the new top plate which is on order from Q Design

[Jac Hawk]

The longer suspension bolts arrived today so i've taken each "strut" out, cleaned each of the collars with acetone which removed the years of rubber and dirt deposited from the spring seats, rebuilt the suspension, installed the new springs and arm and got everything level again. the new springs are a bit stiffer and importantly resist lateral motion much more than the originals, i'm going to plug it in, give it a listen and asses the springs and other upgrades tonight.

[Wakefield Turntables]

The longer suspension bolts arrived today so i've taken each "strut" out, cleaned each of the collars with acetone which removed the years of rubber and dirt deposited from the spring seats, rebuilt the suspension, installed the new springs and arm and got everything level again. the new springs are a bit stiffer and importantly resist lateral motion much more than the originals, i'm going to plug it in, give it a listen and asses the springs and other upgrades tonight.

That's a great solution from having to worry about the length of bolts and where the come from. Hope everything goes well for you.

[Wakefield Turntables]

Pt 15 - Base-ics

Baseboard now made from 18mm birch ply. Added additional damping. We start the electrics tomorrow by changing the motor caps and resistors and seeing if they have drifted.

[brian2957]

Is there much to do on the electrics Andrew ?

[Jac Hawk]

The electronics if you could call them that are very simple, 2 capacitors and a resistor, the on / off switch and the motor, i'd had all sorts of problems with motor knock on my other TD160 I added the anti knock bearing, it did no good, bought 3 different motors and they all made a knocking noise on the deck, then someone on the TD160 forum on facebook recommended that i change the caps and resistor and that sorted it the motor has been dead silent ever since.

[Wakefield Turntables]

Part 16 - Waiting, waiting, waiting....

It's that boring bit again where I have to wait for a few bits to arrive before we can go any further. So, I checked the electrics tonight and the resistor and caps are within 1% tolerance of stated values, so no drift and no need to waste time or money on new parts. The wiring looks to be in good nick so I'll probably resolder the cabling again as it's looking a little ragged. The basics of the deck are now nearly complete and I'll be looking at putting the whole thing together in the next week or two. Then I move onto another deck that I've been sent.. :eyebrows:

[struth]

Yep I agree and that's why I use several tried and tested methods to slow up / down the motor, not everyone can afford a PSU with the ability to alter Hz frequency.I found a mains regenerator helped a lot with tt stability if using mains cycle.

[Jimbo]

I should have sent you my lenco to sort Andy, think you may have done a better job than I did?:)

[Wakefield Turntables]

I found a mains regenerator helped a lot with tt stability if using mains cycle.

ive got a P10 regenerator and it didn't help at all Grant :scratch:. It should have done in theory. I honestly think it's more do do with belt tension and the state of the platter surface.

[Wakefield Turntables]

I should have sent you my lenco to sort Andy, think you may have done a better job than I did?:)

You still can!!

[Wakefield Turntables]

Part 17 - More stuff done....

My cork arrived today so I immediately got on with making a template so that I could damp the underside of the suspended chassis. And here is what it looks like. I've partly re-assembled the 160 so I have some room in my listening room.

https://i.ibb.co/djF4KKj/WP-20210318-002.jpg

I also made a new base board and added damping. The 160 is now getting a little meaty..

https://i.ibb.co/VwpWwHn/WP-20210316-002.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/bPNtjYn/WP-20210316-004.jpg


And finally the deck together so you can get some idea of what it looks like at the moment. The plinth and mat are not staying.

https://i.ibb.co/t8f3T6L/WP-20210318-003.jpg


The baseboard, and sub-chassis damping will eventually be produced by myself and available from the website when I write it. I also decided tonight to make a custom set of suspension mounting bolts, that's tomorrow's work! This new set of suspension mounting bolts should be able to take any set of Thorens Springs be they Audio Nirvana, original Thoren's or any other you care to mention. Stay tuned..:cool:

[Jac Hawk]

At the moment I’m just waiting for the new top plate to arrive, I’ve done all the cleaning, damping upgrades, electrics etc. So now I’m just assessing the new and old springs to see if there’s any difference, I’ll have a few listening sessions and base my choice on what sounds best, I’m not expecting night and day between them, but I’ve got a week before the new top plate arrives to make my mind up. One thing I must say is the Audiomods arm and Audio Technica Art9 cart sound absolutely fab on this deck very wide soundstage, instruments and voices can be located with pin point accuracy but not clinical or sterile in any way, very enjoyable indeed!!

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51050934843_2eae44bbea_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2kMcokM)Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2kMcokM) by mike davis (https://www.flickr.com/photos/185433896@N07/), on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51051661296_787f778b7c_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2kMg7hQ)Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2kMg7hQ) by mike davis (https://www.flickr.com/photos/185433896@N07/), on Flickr
https://flic.kr/p/2kMcokM

https://www.flickr.com/photos/185433896@N07/51050934843/
https://flic.kr/p/2kMcokM


https://flic.kr/p/2kMcokM



https://flic.kr/p/2kMcokM

[Jimbo]

I think the finished article is going to look very nice indeed Mike.:cool:

[Jac Hawk]

A quick update, i've done a lot of listening over the last week and have decided to go with the new springs, they give a slightly better sound, the bass is a bit tighter and aren't so easily upset by foot fall, it's not night and day like most thing at this level differences are subtle.

i'm still waiting on the new top plate to arrive, when it does i'll need to take the deck apart again so i can fit it, this will give me an opportunity to take some more photos and what i'll do is post a reply here detailing parts and replacements including sizes, techniques and proceedures followed with photos so that anyone else the feels the urge can follow them and referb for themselves one of these classic decks.

[Wakefield Turntables]

Pt 18 - Brick wall....

The TD160 will temporarily be housed in the old black plinth. So, I have had a little time to take some pictures and post here tonight. The TD160 is now up to "Super" spec. The base board still needs a little work and some feet fitting but that's hardly rocket science! As you can see the platter has been polished and it matches the rather natty top plate which I have installed. The mat is an original TD160 super but it had a little damage in that it had a few cuts around the spindle hole, I've repaired these and fitted a new disc in the middle of the mat to hide the repair. Finding a NOS TD160 mat is both time consuming and very costly so the repaired sourced version looks just as good. I also redid the wiring loom today in that I completely stripped out the wiring and re-soldered everything. The deck spins a little fast at 33.4rpm but is completely silent. The caps and resistors were completely in tolerance so were left alone.

Here we can see that the deck is now "super" status.

https://i.ibb.co/rcSyNsg/WP-20210327-015.jpg

A not so good picture showing the deck ~90% finished.

https://i.ibb.co/MfnMDps/WP-20210327-014.jpg

Slightly out of phase but here's a random photo of the wiring loom cleaned up

https://i.ibb.co/72SdC7q/WP-20210327-008.jpg

Nip over to my facebook www.facebook.com/wakefieldaudio (http://www.facebook.com/wakefieldaudio) page to see a couple of videos of the deck and the motor being re-worked.

[Chas B]

That mat looks very much like the one used on the Lenco GL75, if so might be easier/cheaper to find replacements?

[walpurgis]

That mat looks very much like the one used on the Lenco GL75, if so might be easier/cheaper to find replacements?

It looks like a Lenco mat. They are a bit heavier than the Thorens mat, so certainly worth using.

[brian2957]

Looks fantastic Andrew, love that top plate :)

[Jac Hawk]

Thorens made a few different mats, on my other deck I have the one with the metal 45 puck in the centre, however on the new deck I’ve tried a 3mm leather mat, lots of people seem to rate them on TD160’s and I must admit the one I’m using is doing a fine job

[Jimbo]

Wow that ids going to be a special looking TD160 Super Andy.

[Wakefield Turntables]

Guy's I think you could be correct, I just found this.

29348

No wonder the mat was reasonably priced. Looks like it's going back for a refund. :steam:

Thanks for spotting, saved some embarrassment.

[Wakefield Turntables]

Looks fantastic Andrew, love that top plate :)

Thanks Brian. Yeah, it was a special order, took a couple of weeks to arrive.


Wow that ids going to be a special looking TD160 Super Andy.

Thanks Jim. Yeah, sad to see it go. The work I've done on this one has generated two more decks to restore! :eyebrows:

[Jimbo]

Thanks Brian. Yeah, it was a special order, took a couple of weeks to arrive.



Thanks Jim. Yeah, sad to see it go. The work I've done on this one has generated two more decks to restore! :eyebrows:

Quality work there.:cool:

[Jac Hawk]

That top plate is looking very nice Andy, Q Design by any chance?

[Wakefield Turntables]

That top plate is looking very nice Andy, Q Design by any chance?

No mate, designed and sourced locally. I buy British whenever possible.

[Wakefield Turntables]

Pt 19 - She's leaving soon....

I've posted a quick video over on https://www.facebook.com/Wakefieldaudio/ and here you can see her spinning and running completely silent.

:hairmetal:

[brian2957]

Now that turntable looks a bit special :clap:

[Jimbo]

No mate, designed and sourced locally. I buy British whenever possible.

Good decision to buy locally I think after the nightmare situation with buying or selling anything into Europe.

[Jac Hawk]

No mate, designed and sourced locally. I buy British whenever possible.

Q Design were British up until recently, then they moved to France, i've bought top plates off them before and the quality has always been top notch so it never occured to me to look elsewhere, Jimbo's right though Europe is more problematic to deal with now than it was pre Brexit, but that's a discussion for another day.

[Jac Hawk]

My new top plate cover arrived during the week from Q design so i thought i'd wrap my project up by going through what i've done.

So as i've probably said already I didn't have a complete deck to renovate, rather a collection of parts left from other projects and what i didn't have i was going to get from ebay. So what did i buy:

1/ New plinth and base board in European Oak made for me to my spec by a local cabinet maker
2/ New top plate cover from Q Design
3/ 2nd hand outer platter from ebay
4/ New 3 x M3 x 10mm screws to hold the motor in place
5/ New M3 Flat washer for the motor adjustment screw
6/ New 20mm x 8mm x 1mm compression spring for the motor adjuster
7\ New 3 x M5 x 55mm suspension strut bolts
8\ New Griffon suspension springs
9\ New 4 x 30mm sorbothane - aluminium isolating feet from ebay
10\New SRM Tech motor bearing knock kit
11\New replacement capacitors and resistor
12\New Dynamat Extreme damping sheet from ebay
13\New 3mm Cork sheet from ebay
14\New Vinyl Source acrylic armboard
15\New 3 x M5 nyloc nuts
16\New 3mm leather mat

So to begin with i completely stripped the top plate, took the top plate cover off which is only thin and glued on, removed the glue residue, drilled out the old arm lift mechanism and removed it, removed the suspension springs, bolts, collars and floating top plate, then cleaned everything with IPA or acetone. After everything was cleaned i made templates for the Dynamat cladding for the top plate, the cork cladding for the floating top plate, then clad as much as possible leaving enough space in the corner where the motor goes coz once this stuff is on it's a pain in the arse to remove. Once everything was clad and the bearing sleeve wrapped with it's own little piece of dynamat i fitted the top plate into the new plinth, adjusted the corner supports so that the top of the deck was about 2mm below the edge of the plinth and level, then it was screwed in place and extra dynamat was stuck to the plinth sides and base board.

Once all the cladding was done it was time to start the rebuild, i use a workmate so that i can turn the deck upside down, having it open so that only the edges are supported. Originally i fitted the old suspension bolts and had to re do this bit, what you will find is one of the suspension collars is shorter than the rest this is because one of the suspension bolts is sunk below the top plate and covered over with the top plate cover, this means unless you intend replacing the top plate cover you can't mess around with the suspension, anyway the suspension legs are dead simple to install, the bolt is inserted then the collar is slid into place then the locking nut is tightened up to make everything rigid. Once the legs are in place it's time to fit the springs and floating top plate, again this is dead simple the floating plate drops in over the 3 struts, i reused the original spring seat rubbers for the floating plate as they have little locators that hold them in the correct position, if you're replacing the original springs this next part is very important, you need to find the soft side of the spring by gently squeezing the spring between your thumb and forefinger, going all the way round until you find the soft side, once you've found it i'd mark it with a dab of correction fluid, this side should be positioned to point towards the bearing, the reason for doing this is it helps to stop lateral movement or the suspension to sag to one side, my new springs are a bit stiffer and are made differently out of a different type of steel so they don't suffer from this weakness, anyway once the springs are on and centred simply pop the top spring seat on, the washer and a new nyloc nut or wing nut, the reason for using a nyloc nut is that it doesn't unscrew over time like the originals do, so once your suspension is set it should stay that way for longer.

Next was the electrics, i had an IEC power socket fitted when the plinth was made so that i could detach the power cable. Basically you have a plastic circuit stand with connections along the bottom it's covered with a grey plastic cover the whole thing snaps into place on the under side of the top plate , on the stand you have a pair of caps and a resistor that make sure that one half of the motor is 90 degrees out of phase, to lower the voltage to each side of the motor and a suppressor to stop any loud pops when you turn the deck on, most people don't replace these parts but in my mind if you're going to go to all this trouble for a rebuild you might as well, you can buy kits off ebay for about £10 or just buy the parts individually which is a bit cheaper, alternatively you can completely replace this with a printed circuit which are available pre populated with the correct parts on ebay, anyway i soldered on tails for the motor and directly connected the input leads and switch leads, i also connected the top plate to earth.

Next i fitted the motor and the anit knock kit from SRM Tech which just glues into place on the bottom of the motor, the kit comes complete with a ball bearing, adjustment screw and grease, once fitted i i checked all the wiring and then fired it up, dead silent perfect.

The next thing i did was give the platter and sub platter a polish, the outer edges i did with Duraglit and the flat surfaces i first scoured with wire wool then used a small edge sander that has a velcro type foot and stuck a microfiber cloth onto it i then polished with T Cut and finally gave the outer platter edge a coat of silicone polish to keep it shiny for longer.

Next up i fitted the top plate cover and arm board, i glued the top plate cover into place with impact adhesive the same way the original one was done, you need to be careful some folks use dowels in the 4 screw holes to centre the plate, i prefer to line the top plate cover up with the front edge and sides of the plinth, there's no right or wrong way but you're using impact adhesive so you have no adjustment once the cover is in place. The acrylic armboard kit i got from The Vinyl Source, i've used their kits in the past they are of a decent quality and finish and are easy to fit.

My next job was to fit the arm and get the deck balanced. From the start of this project i intended to fit my Audiomods arm, fitting is very simple as it has a threaded base and retention nut, the tricky part with these decks is securing the phono cables, on the original Thorens arm the phono cable is soldered to a panel similar to the power connector and the thin arm cables run from there to the arm and have little to no effect on the balance, however on my arm the phono cables come out of the base of the arm so you need to anchor it firmly to the plinth giving the cable enough play to allow the suspension to move correctly, the effect of this on the deck is that it pushes slightly on the arm altering its weight, but as i've said once the cable is anchored the effect of the cable is a constant and the deck can be balanced, i user a cable anchor screwed directly to the side of the plinth then zip tie the cables to the anchor point, it's a solid fix but can easily be taken apart and doesn't damage the cables. Once the arm's fitted it's time to get the deck balanced, i use an adjustable platform that i can level then sit the deck on it with the bottom off, some people say you need to have the bottom on every time you take a measurement, it's up to you but for me it makes no difference, basically you need to adjust each of the nuts on the suspension struts so that the deck sits high enough to clear the motor, is level and gives sufficient bounce, it's trial and error but the first thing is getting it riding at the right height, then after that get it level, once that's done everything should be sweet and automatically you have plenty of bounce.

The final jobs were to fit the feet to the baseboard and button her up, i bought 30mm aluminium feet that sit on a 3mm sorborthane pad, they cost about £30 off ebay, i could have gone for more elaborate feet but i felt that these would work well and look quite nice too, then i added oil to the bearing, the sleeve bearing shaft had been clean previously but i gave them another clean just to be sure then added about 25 drops of 3 in 1 oil to the bearing sleeve which seems to be just the right amount as you can see the oil on the top of the bearing shaft if you pull it out a little and take a look, then i fitted the belt and adjusted the motor ride angle, the last job of all was to balance the arm and set the cartridge.

Job done here are some photos:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51022460398_f79f5b1a9e_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2kJFrT5)IMG_0064 (https://flic.kr/p/2kJFrT5) by mike davis (https://www.flickr.com/photos/185433896@N07/), on Flickr
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51022460358_99569ac446_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2kJFrSo)IMG_0063 (https://flic.kr/p/2kJFrSo) by mike davis (https://www.flickr.com/photos/185433896@N07/), on Flickr
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51023288962_df57942b79_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2kJKGbE)IMG_0061 (https://flic.kr/p/2kJKGbE) by mike davis (https://www.flickr.com/photos/185433896@N07/), on Flickr
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51032110402_1475df2edc_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2kKwUus)IMG_0067 (https://flic.kr/p/2kKwUus) by mike davis (https://www.flickr.com/photos/185433896@N07/), on Flickr
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51032009971_2ac9e8f2e0_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2kKwoCT)IMG_0065 (https://flic.kr/p/2kKwoCT) by mike davis (https://www.flickr.com/photos/185433896@N07/), on Flickr
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51088469457_8c519f9f86_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2kQvL5i)DSC_0571 (https://flic.kr/p/2kQvL5i) by mike davis (https://www.flickr.com/photos/185433896@N07/), on Flickr
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51089193445_786340a1bb_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2kQzthR)DSC_0572 (https://flic.kr/p/2kQzthR) by mike davis (https://www.flickr.com/photos/185433896@N07/), on Flickr
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51088926568_b3e8d160f1_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2kQy6Xw)DSC_0574 (https://flic.kr/p/2kQy6Xw) by mike davis (https://www.flickr.com/photos/185433896@N07/), on Flickr
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51088927048_65fe77409a_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2kQy76N)DSC_0578 (https://flic.kr/p/2kQy76N) by mike davis (https://www.flickr.com/photos/185433896@N07/), on Flickr
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51089191630_f93fce806b_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2kQzsKy)IMG_0073 (https://flic.kr/p/2kQzsKy) by mike davis (https://www.flickr.com/photos/185433896@N07/), on Flickr

[brian2957]

Absolutely gorgeous Mike. This is fantastic work :)

[walpurgis]

Looks very classy! :thumbsup:

[Jac Hawk]

Thanks guys much appreciated , like my other deck I based it on my speakers, oak sides with black face